BY-LAWS OF THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS (As Amended December 1974, December 1975, January 1978, April 1988, February 1989, September 1991, May 2005, September 2008, April 2010, December 2011, January, April 2013, February 2016) 1.00 Composition of the Faculty ARTICLE I THE FACULTY Consonant with the provisions of the University Code, Part II, A 2.00, the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts is composed of its dean, the heads of the various academic departments and schools, and all who hold professorial rank in those departments and schools. 1.01 Powers of the Faculty Consonant with the provisions of the University Code, Part II, A 4.00, the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts has the power to establish and revise the curriculum and graduation requirements of the college, and to consider, discuss, and advise the dean, the president of the university and its board of trustees concerning any and all matters deemed by it to affect the welfare of the faculty of the college. Specifically, faculty powers and responsibilities include, among others, such matters as: admission and academic placement of students, nomination of all candidates for degrees, and approval of the curriculum/ changes to the curriculum. 1.02 Meetings of the Faculty Each semester the faculty of the college will convene in regular meetings presided over by the chair of the senate. At each regular meeting of the faculty, the chair of the senate shall report actions of the senate since the last regular faculty meeting. The faculty shall certify to the registrar those candidates who are eligible to receive degrees. The secretary of the senate will also serve as the secretary of the faculty. Special faculty meetings may be called by the chair or at the request of the dean. 1.03 Reconsideration of Senate Action by the Faculty The faculty of the college may consider senate action as stated below: (a) In any regular or special faculty meeting any action of the senate since the last meeting of the faculty may be brought up for review. Should a majority of those in attendance at the faculty meeting so direct, such senate action shall be returned to the senate for its reconsideration. Such reconsideration will be at a special senate meeting unless a regular senate meeting is scheduled within two weeks of the faculty meeting. Should the senate rescind its earlier action, the matter will be closed. Should the senate reaffirm its earlier action, a decision on the issue involved will be reached by a majority vote in a ballot of the entire voting faculty of the college such ballot to be administered by the senate. 1
(b) Any action of the most recent senate meeting may be reviewed if a petition signed by 10% of the voting members of the faculty is presented to the chair within two weeks of the receipt of the minutes of the senate meeting involved. Reconsideration of the senate action involved will be at a special senate meeting. Should the senate reaffirm its earlier action, a decision on the issue involved will be reached by a majority vote in a ballot of the entire voting faculty of the college such ballot to be administered by the senate. 2.00 Composition of the Senate ARTICLE II THE SENATE The senate shall be composed of forty members as follows: (a) The dean of the college. (b) Thirty-seven members apportioned among the departments and schools of the college according to the number of faculty members in those units, with the provision that no unit shall have fewer than two members. (c) Two members elected by and from the Council of Department Heads. 2.01 Powers of the Senate (a) The senate of the College of Liberal Arts is the governing body of the faculty of the college. It exercises the legislative and policy-making powers assigned to the faculty of the college, pursuant to its own rules, subject to review and check only by the faculty as established in Article I (1.03) of these by-laws. (b) College of Liberal Arts senators are expected to make regular reports about College of Liberal Arts Senate meetings to faculty in their departments and schools as a mechanism for keeping lines of communication open. 2.02 Reapportionment The senate shall determine the apportionment of elected senators in the first meeting of each calendar year on the basis of the current assignment of faculty to departments and schools. This apportionment shall become effective on the following July 1. 2.03 Eligibility Except as provided in 2.00 (c), only those members of the faculty who are not members of the Council of Department Heads and who will not have exceeded six years of continuous membership in the senate are eligible for election. 2.04 Election of Senators (a) The normal term of an elected senator shall be three years, except for those elected by and 2
from the Council of Department Heads, whose term shall be for one year. Each term will begin on the July 1 following election. Approximately one-third of the total membership will be elected each year. Each department and school shall establish the manner in which its faculty shall elect its senators and shall fill any vacancies of duration of one semester or more. (b) One alternate senator will be elected along with the slate of three-year senators in each department or school. If an elected senator cannot attend, s/he should contact the alternate as a replacement. 2.05 Leadership The leadership of the senate shall be as follows: (a) Dean. The Justin S. Morrill Dean of the College of Liberal Arts shall serve as a member of the senate. Ordinarily, the dean will present a report on current issues at each regular meeting of the senate. (b) Chair. The chair shall serve as the presiding officer of the senate. The chair is elected by the faculty senate (for procedure see: 2.08.12) and will participate in the agenda committee (2.08.20) for a one-year term. The chair will manage the major internal and external communications of the senate. He/she shall report regularly at meetings of the faculty on actions taken by the senate. Ordinarily the chair will have served as vice-chair the previous year and have served at least one year as senator prior to that. In cases where the vice-chair does not succeed to the chair position, the senate shall hold a special election to fill both positions. (c) Vice-Chair. The senate shall elect annually from among its members a vice-chair who will preside in the absence of the chair, assist the chair, and serve on the agenda committee. Ordinarily, the vice-chair will succeed to the position of chair the following year. (d) Secretary. The chair will appoint, with the approval of the senate, a secretary, who need not be a member of the senate. The secretary will take minutes of all meetings of the senate and the faculty, and distribute them to all members of the college faculty. (e) Parliamentarian. The chair may, with the approval of the senate, appoint a parliamentarian, who need not be a member of the senate. The parliamentarian will perform those duties prescribed by the parliamentary authority. (Article IV, 4.00) 2.06 Meetings The senate will normally meet three times each semester. Special meetings of the senate may be held: (a) upon the call of the chair; (b) at the request of the dean; 3
(c) at the request of any ten of its members; or (d) as a result of action by the faculty either in meeting or by petition, as provided in 1.03 (b) above. 2.07 Voting Only members of the senate or elected replacements may vote in meetings of the senate. No proxy or substitute votes will be permitted. All meetings of the senate will be open to any faculty member, who may, with consent of the senate, have a voice but no vote. 2.08 Committees of the Senate 2.08.10 The Nominating and Elections Committee shall consist of five senators, four elected by the senate at the last (April) meeting of the academic year, and one appointed by the dean. Members shall serve for two-year terms, tenure being so arranged that the terms of two senators expire in one year and the terms of the other three the next year. The committee will designate its own chair. No department or school will have more than one member of this committee. 2.08.11 Duties and Responsibilities. The Nominating and Elections Committee shall nominate members to committees and councils of the senate and college and conduct all college elections. 2.08.12 Conduct of Elections. The Nominating and Elections Committee shall organize senate leadership elections during the second-to-last (February) senate meeting of the academic year. Candidates for the position of vice-chair and, where necessary, faculty chair will be asked to address the senate before voting takes place by secret ballot. 2.08.20 The Agenda Committee shall consist of the chair, the vice-chair, and two senators elected by the senate at the last meeting of the academic year. The dean or his/her representative shall be an ex officio member of this committee. Senators shall be elected so that the term of one expires in one year and the second in the following year. The committee shall designate its own chair from among the committee members not already serving in the senate leadership. 2.08.21 Duties and Responsibilities. The Agenda Committee shall prepare an agenda for each session of the senate and for each of the two regular faculty meetings. All documents that are to be submitted to the senate shall be submitted to the Agenda Committee for agenda assignment. The Agenda Committee shall receive communications from any faculty member or group of faculty members who wish to present a proposal before a meeting of the senate. This communication may be placed on the agenda or referred to an appropriate committee. The Agenda Committee should arrange for attendance at the appropriate senate meeting of any person or persons who may have special resources or knowledge that would aid the senate in its deliberations on specific agenda items. 4
The Agenda Committee shall serve as a coordinating committee, coordinating the activities of the committees of the senate on common, related, or interdependent matters. This coordination may be achieved by allocation of matters coming before the Agenda Committee to the appropriate one or more committees, or by calling for joint committee reports. The Agenda Committee may on its own initiative refer to the appropriate standing senate committee matters of overall interest to the college or to the senate. The Agenda Committee shall have only the powers enumerated by these by-laws and nothing contained in the powers granted to it shall be interpreted to mean that it has any legislative authority. The Agenda Committee may appoint ad hoc committees any time the need for such committees arises. 2.08.30 Special Committees may be created by the senate which shall have such powers and perform such duties and act for such times as are designated in the resolutions calling for their appointment, provided only that these do not conflict with or duplicate duties regularly assigned to one of the committees named above. Such special committees will have tenure only during the academic years in which they are authorized unless the authorizing motion specifies to the contrary. ARTICLE III COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS OF THE COLLEGE 3.10 The Educational Policy Committee shall consist of seven members of the faculty, six elected by the CLA senate and one to be appointed by the dean, and also two students selected by the Liberal Arts Student Council. The six elected faculty members will each come from a different department or school within CLA; the dean s appointment may come from any department. The chair will be elected by the committee and may not be an administrative member of the faculty. Faculty members will serve three-year staggered terms; students will serve one-year terms. 3.11 Duties and Responsibilities. The Educational Policy Committee shall be concerned with, but not limited to, improvement of instruction, honors programs, general education policy and core requirements, general research programs, graduation requirements, general curriculum standards, the waiving of graduation requirements, general academic organization, and interdepartmental research and education programs. 3.20 The Curriculum Committee shall consist of seven members, one appointed by the dean for a three-year term and six elected by the senate. No department or school shall have more than one member serving on the committee. Elected members shall serve for three years and the terms of two will terminate each year. The chair will be elected by the committee and may not be an administrative member of the faculty. 3.21 Duties and Responsibilities. The Curriculum Committee shall be concerned with the evaluation of new courses and programs; revisions of existing courses and programs; and study of areas, majors, minors, and certificates keeping the offerings of the different 5
departments and schools up-to-date, etc. 3.40 The Faculty Affairs Committee shall consist of seven members of the faculty, six elected by the senate and one to be appointed by the dean. The six elected faculty members will each come from a different department or school; the dean s appointment may come from any department or school. Faculty members elected by the senate, or appointed by the dean do not have to be members of the senate. The chair will be elected by the committee and may not be an administrative member of the faculty. The faculty will serve three-year staggered terms. 3.41 Duties and Responsibilities. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall be concerned with those matters which pertain primarily to the responsibilities, rights, privileges, opportunities, and welfare of the faculty of the college collectively and as individuals. Such items as tenure, procedures for academic promotion, academic responsibilities, faculty governance, and faculty compensation are topics which may be considered by the Faculty Affairs Committee. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall also meet annually with the dean of Liberal Arts, as charged by the Liberal Arts Senate. 3.50 The Area Promotions Committee shall consist of the dean, who will be chair, associate dean (who will attend all meetings, and will preside and/or vote only in the absence of the dean), the heads of the several departments and schools, and one other full professor representing each department and school chosen in accord with the provisions in the standing rules appended to these by-laws. 3.51 Duties and Responsibilities. The Area Promotions Committee will meet and act upon those recommendations forwarded from the departments and schools of the college regarding promotion and regarding tenure in accord with the provisions of the standing rules (CLA Promotion and Tenure Procedures) appended to these by-laws. It will communicate the results of those actions in accordance with the procedures also set forth in the standing rules. 3.60 The Grade Appeals Committee shall consist of sixteen members (eight members of the instructional faculty, four undergraduate students and four graduate students). Four members in the faculty category shall be elected annually before May 1, by the senate. Their terms will begin at the start of the succeeding academic year. Student members are selected annually by heads of departments or schools to serve one-year terms. 3.61 Duties and Responsibilities: The Grade Appeals Committee shall hear and act upon all cases brought before it in accord with the grade appeals system as described in the University Regulations. 3.70 The Council of Department Heads shall consist of the dean, who will be chair, the department and school heads, the associate deans, and the assistant deans. When invited, one representative of the senate may be a non-voting member. 3.71 Duties and Responsibilities. The Council of Department Heads is an administrative body which will counsel with and report to the dean. 3.80 Ad Hoc Committees to provide faculty participation in the selection of administrative personnel shall be activated as follows: 6
(a) In the case of a vacancy in the Office of the Dean, a slate of nominees including at least three faculty members selected by the senate, three of their members selected by the Council of Department Heads, and the chair of the senate will be provided to the provost for his/her appointment, to constitute the majority of the Selection Advisory Committee. The committee will solicit the names of candidates from all appropriate sources and, after considering persons recommended to it, will work with the provost in preparing a list of acceptable candidates from which the president will select his/her nominee. In the event that none of the candidates is acceptable to the president, the committee will add to the list until a nominee is chosen. (b) In the case of a vacancy in the office of a department head, the dean shall appoint a selection advisory committee. The size and composition of this committee shall be determined by the dean in consultation with the faculty of the department. At least two-thirds of the committee shall be elected by the faculty of the department from among its members. Any additional members of the committee, such as faculty members from other departments, students, etc. shall be appointed by the dean after consultation with the department. The selection advisory committee will work with the dean in soliciting the names of candidates and considering persons recommended, and will prepare a list of acceptable candidates. The dean will select a nominee from among the candidates on the list. In the event that none of the candidates is acceptable to the dean, the selection advisory committee will add to the list until a nominee is chosen. ARTICLE IV PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY 4.00 In all matters not specifically provided for in these by-laws and standing rules, the procedural guide shall be the current edition of Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure. ARTICLE V - AMENDMENTS (Amended December, 1975) 5.00 Initiation of Amendments. Any amendments to these by-laws and standing rules shall be marked for discussion only at the first regular meeting of the senate, after the text of the proposed amendment has been distributed with the agenda for that meeting. At the next regular meeting the amendment shall be marked for action and may be adopted by a vote of two-thirds of those senators present and voting. If the proposed amendment is approved by a simple majority of those voting, it may be adopted at the next regular meeting by a vote of a simple majority of those present and voting. College of Liberal Arts Promotion and Tenure Procedures Document was distributed with the April 20, 1976, LA Senate Minutes 7